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Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon is encouraging the Prime Minister to mark the New Zealand Land Wars with a public holiday.
Jacinda Ardern this week floated the idea of a new public holiday to give New Zealanders a break from COVID-19 and encourage them to see more of the country.
Mr Foon says iwi have long called for Land Wars commemorations to move from being local events to a national public holiday, and now could be the right time to do that.
He says understanding the history creates a better-informed citizenry.
The public holiday would complement increased teaching of history in schools from 2022 including first encounters, early colonial history, the Treaty of Waitangi, colonisation, immigration, and the New Zealand Wars.
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